Open an exisiting Contact card to the "Matter" sub-tab and click the "New" button.

In the "Create New Matter" form, "Client" and "Description" are the only required fields.

Additional fields that we suggest you complete:

Practice AreaClio comes pre-populated with a number of practice areas that you can apply to your Matters. To instantly add a new Practice Area within a Matter, click the "Add a Practice Area" link. Adding a practice area to your Matters can be useful in reporting.

Client Reference NumberThe Client Reference Number field can be used to track any internal or client facing reference number utilized by your firm. The Client Reference Number can be displayed on your bills through your Bill Themes.

Responsible AttorneySpecifying the Responsible Attorney on a Matter is useful for a number of Clio reports including the ability to track accounts receivable data by each attorney in your firm.

Task ListsIn Clio, you can create lists of Tasks that need to be completed for each Matter. These Tasks can then be assigned in bulk when creating a Matter.

Custom FieldsCustom Fields allow you to add any type of information to your Matter. Custom Fields can be used to filter your Matters list, they can be pulled into the documents that your create via Document Automation, and they can be reported on via your Matter Exports. Custom Fields are only available to our Boutique and Elite subscribers.

Statute of LimitationsSelect a Due Date to track the Statue of Limitations on your Matters. The Statute of Limitations on all Matters can be viewed on the main "Calendar" tab by showing the "Statute of Limitations" calendar.

Matter BillingThe Matter Billing section is where you will specify the billing method for the Matter. By default, the Matter is billable based on the hourly billing rate specified in your user Profile. Clicking "Add a custom rate" allows you to specify a different hourly rate specific to this Matter. You can also specify custom Matter rates for other users of your Clio account.

Additional billing methods available are "Flat" and "Contingency". For more information about hourly, flat, and contingency billing methods, see our collection of Matter Billing articles.

Matter BudgetsChecking "This Matter has a budget" allows you to specify the maximum amount that should be charged to the Matter and a threshold notification.

Adding a budget to a Matter will also add a Budget dashboard to the Matter Info screen - discussed in "Anatomy of a Matter".

NotesThe Notes tab allows you to create, modify, and browse text notes related to the Matter. Notes can serve as a flexible information storage medium, and may serve different purposes for different practices. The Notes field can hold hundreds of pages of information and is full-text searchable.

DocumentsYou can view, upload, and manage documents associated with the Matter on the Documents tab.

Clio ConnectThe Clio Connect tab is where you can view all of the resources and communications related to the Matter that you have shared with your client and other Contacts. This includes documents, bills, tasks, calendar events, and messages.

The Matter Budget dashboard will only be present on Matters where a budget has been specified.

The "Budget" meter will show your spending progress on the Matter (all billed and unbilled time and expense entries recorded on the Matter). If you have specified a budget threshold, then the meter will turn red once the threshold has been reached.

The "Budget Forecast" shows the number of hours that you can work on the Matter before reaching the budget limit.

The Matter Details table displays all of the information that you entered when creating your Matter, including any Custom Fields that you added to the Matter.

Timeline

The Matter Timeline is a detailed log of the important activities and events taking place in your Clio account. The Timeline displays changes to Matter information, new activities related to the Matter, and deletions.